Stolen Crown: when Enemies Become Everything

Isabella's POV

The wedding dress crashed to the floor as I ripped it off my body.

My hands were shaking so bad I could barely get the zipper down. This stupid white dress felt like a prison. Tomorrow, I was supposed to wear it and smile while I married Michael Chen. A man who looked at me like I was a prize he won at a fair.

I kicked the dress into the corner and put on my regular clothes. Black jeans and a dark sweater. Much better.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand. Another text from Michael.

"Can't wait to make you mine tomorrow, princess."

I wanted to throw up. Instead, I deleted the message and opened my secret phone. The one my father didn't know about. The one I used to send messages to people who could help me escape this nightmare.

I typed quickly: "Tomorrow night. I'll be ready."

My finger stopped over the send button. Once I pressed this, there was no going back. My whole life would change forever.

But staying meant marrying Michael. It meant being stuck in a life I never chose. It meant watching my father use me like a chess piece in his dangerous games.

I pressed send.

The door to my room opened without a knock. Papa walked in like he owned the place. Which he did. He owned everything, including me.

"Bella, my beautiful daughter." His voice was soft, but I could hear the steel underneath. "Are you ready for tomorrow?"

I turned around and gave him my best fake smile. The one I practiced in the mirror for years. "Yes, Papa. I'll do whatever you need."

Papa's face relaxed. He believed my act. He always did.

"Good girl. This marriage will bring peace to our family. The Chens are powerful. With them on our side, no one can touch us."

Especially not the Morettis, I thought. But I didn't say it out loud. Papa's face always got scary when someone mentioned that name.

"I know you don't love Michael yet," Papa continued. "But love will come. Sometimes duty comes first, then love follows."

I nodded like I agreed. Inside, my heart was breaking. Papa used to read me bedtime stories. He used to call me his little princess and mean it in a good way. Now I was just another tool in his business.

"Get some sleep," Papa said, kissing my forehead. "Tomorrow is a big day."

After he left, I locked my door and pulled out a small bag from under my bed. I'd been packing it slowly for weeks. Just the important stuff. Some clothes, money I'd been saving, and a thick folder full of papers that could destroy both my family and the Morettis.

Information was power. And I'd been collecting it for months.

I knew about the secret meetings. The dirty money. The lies both families told about why they hated each other. I even knew the truth about what really started their war ten years ago.

Most importantly, I knew about Antonio Moretti.

Tony. I'd been watching him watch our house for weeks. He thought he was being sneaky, but I noticed everything. The way he sat in his car across the street. How he studied our security guards. The fact that he always left before sunrise.

He was planning something. And I was pretty sure that something involved me.

Most girls would be terrified. But I wasn't most girls. I was Vincent Russo's daughter, and I'd learned to play chess before I could ride a bike.

If Tony Moretti wanted to use me in his game, fine. But he was about to find out that I had my own moves planned.

I sat by my window and waited. The house was quiet now. All the wedding guests had gone home. The security guards were making their rounds. Everything looked normal.

But I could feel something different in the air. Like right before a storm hits.

My secret phone buzzed with a reply: "Understood. Stay alert."

My heart started beating faster. This was really happening.

I thought about Michael sleeping in his expensive hotel room downtown. He probably thought tomorrow would be the best day of his life. He had no idea that his bride was about to disappear.

I thought about Papa, who trusted me to be his good little girl forever. He had no idea that his daughter had been planning her own escape for months.

And I thought about Tony Moretti. The man who killed people for his family. The man who was probably getting ready to kidnap me right now. He had no idea that I wanted to be taken.

The clock on my nightstand said 11:47 PM. Almost midnight. Almost tomorrow. Almost my wedding day.

Except I wouldn't be here for my wedding.

I checked my bag one more time. Everything was ready. Now I just had to wait for Tony to make his move.

A sound outside made me freeze. Footsteps on the gravel below my window. Soft ones, like someone trying not to be heard.

I turned off all the lights in my room and peeked through the curtains. A shadow moved across the lawn. Then another one. They were here.

My hands weren't shaking anymore. I felt calm and clear, like I always did when I was about to do something dangerous.

I grabbed my bag and sat in the chair facing my window. If Tony Moretti thought he was going to find a scared little girl tonight, he was in for a big surprise.

The doorknob to my room started to turn slowly.

Wait. That was wrong. Tony was supposed to come through the window. That was his plan. I'd watched him study the outside of the house for weeks.

So who was trying to get into my room through the door?

I hadn't heard footsteps in the hallway. I hadn't heard anyone coming up the stairs. Whoever this was, they were good at being quiet. Maybe even better than Tony.

The door opened just a crack. I could see part of a face in the darkness. Not Tony's face. This person was smaller. And they were wearing something over their head.

My heart started pounding again, but not in a good way. This wasn't part of my plan. This was something else entirely.

The person stepped into my room and closed the door behind them. In the moonlight coming through my window, I could see they were holding something in their hand.

Something that looked like a knife.

"Hello, Isabella," a voice whispered. It was a woman's voice, but I didn't recognize it. "We need to talk."